Hounslow Council cracking down on illegal rentals and consulting on licensing scheme renewal

Monday, April 14th, 2025 - Hounslow Council

In significant enforcement action, Hounslow Council has successfully prosecuted a resident for illegally renting out an outbuilding after it was discovered being advertised online for £1,300 per month in 2017. 

Thillakarani Ratnam of 43 Chatsworth Crescent, was fined over £70,000 after a prolonged investigation, led by Hounslow Council’s planning enforcement team. 

Ms. Ratnam failed to comply with a planning enforcement notice that required her to cease use and remove all kitchen and bathroom facilities. Further investigations in partnership with the Metropolitan Police confirmed the outbuilding was still occupied.  

The court ordered Ms. Ratnam to pay a £15,000 fine, more than £20,000 in court costs and to repay £35,000 gained from the illegal rental. The council’s financial investigators were pivotal in uncovering the extent of gains from this illegal activity, emphasising their resolve to tackle unscrupulous and illegal rental practices.  

Cllr Tom Bruce, Deputy Leader of Hounslow Council and Cabinet Member for Assets, Regeneration and Development, said:  

“This case highlights our commitment to upholding the law and protecting living standards in our communities. It is clear that Hounslow Council will not tolerate housing practices that take advantage of vulnerable individuals and breach our planning regulations.  

“We will take decisive action against illegal housing to ensure our residents live in safe and appropriate conditions.”

Housing Additional licensing consultation underway

Meanwhile, Hounslow Council wants feedback from residents on the proposals to renew their borough wide additional licensing scheme which ends on 31 July 2025. 

With around a third of residents living in the private rented sector across the borough, the council acknowledge Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) are an important and much-needed source of accommodation. However, the council also say HMOs can present serious risks of harm to the health and safety of tenants and persistent anti-social behaviour. 

If the scheme is renewed, it will retain smaller HMOs within the scope of licensing. This will include houses and flat shares occupied by 3 or 4 people. We understand the scheme will also include so called ‘section 257 HMOs’ which are certain buildings converted into self-contained flats.

Since the introduction of additional HMO licensing in August 2020, Hounslow Council say they have issued:

• 937 warnings of formal enforcement action
• 652 notices requesting gas and electrical safety certificates to be provided
• 135 notices to remediate housing defects or prohibit hazardous accommodation
• 51 civil penalty fines

Anyone can take part in the property licensing consultation on the council’s website, which is open until Wednesday 21 May 2025.

Our free guide containing more information about property licensing and HMO planning restrictions in Hounslow is available here.

For all the latest news and events, you can sign up for the free London Property Licensing newsletter here.